Consider the armies of this country's unemployed, now over 20 million strong. Rather than uniting politically with the motive of petitioning the government for redress of their common grievance, they sit isolated and depressed in their living rooms, watching daytime television, the great sleeping pill and pacifier of the masses, and wonder why this is happening to them.
They don't understand, most of them, that they are helpless pawns and disposable machine parts in the endless capitalist cycle of boom, mania, panic, and collapse. As long as this government of capital exists to serve itself rather than serving those it governs, the cycles of boom-and-bust will continue, with the workers enjoying the expansions and suffering through the contractions of this mindless regime of starvation in the midst of plenty.
The regime of capital governs nearly every aspect of our lives, excepting only what we do in the ballot box and between the sheets. Everything else is up to them. But if I remember right, Jefferson had a few choice words to say about government that does not exist to serve the needs of those it governs.
As reported in the Washington Post, The Bureau of Labor statistics reveals that the "official" unemployment rate of 8.9 percent is "only half the story."
The total number of Americans who are not working full-time but ought to be is actually about 22 million, or 15.8 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Besides the 13.7 million "officially" unemployed, another 8.3 should be working full time but aren't.
Many of these people, whose ranks are disproportionately young, male, and/or nonwhite, have simply stopped looking for work out of discouragement.
Ever wondered what it was like to be alive in 1933? We're about two-thirds of the way there.
Unemployed people don't have much money, and if they're out of work for a long time, they spend very little.
Since prosperity is dependent on "consumer" spending, anybody who thinks there can be any kind of "recovery" with this many "consumers" disabled by joblessness obviously has his or her head in an inappropriate place.
Alas, Babylon.
"Unemployment," in ink and watercolor on paper, is by American artist Craig Irvin..
4 comments:
The good people of earth are starting a movement. It's called good energy day 999.
Every movement has a challenge. And for the world, it is the economy and unemployment. On this day we will pledge to bounce back.
At 9:09 EST September 9, 2009, we will collectively, as good people of earth think positive thoughts. This collective good energy will be the driving force of the repetition of positive energy throughout the world.
Please join the group at GED999.com. This is your pledge that you will bring good energy to the world. And that you will take part in a huge effort to make the world a positive place to thrive in.
Please join the good people of earth. Tell your other good people.
follow the good people at #GED999, ged999.com, @rickybobby77 or rich.wakefield@gmail.com
I want to be part of any movement that is loving and has Good Energy, count me in!
Kim
www.twitter.com/goodenergypa
Wake Felderman, the Back Men have found you... http://authorsbusinessplan.blogspot.com/2006/10/on-other-hand-its-non-linear-pastiche.html
CLARITY is not my strong-suit, YET.
Dave, we, as a species, have to come to despise the need for predation. We need to move beyond the cold mechanism of evolution.
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